Can You Use Boxing Gloves Without Hand Wrap?
There’s a lot of debate over whether or not you should use hand wraps when boxing. Some people believe that it’s essential for protecting your hands and preventing injuries, while others say that you don’t need them if you’re wearing good quality gloves. So, which is it? Can you box without using hand wraps? Let’s take a closer look at this question.
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What is hand wrap and why do you need it?
Hand wrap in boxing is a layer of padding placed around the hands to protect them against injury. Boxers use it to avoid injuries during sparring or competitions, while combat sports fighters also use it to avoid cuts and scrapes which result from punches or accidents.
Boxing gloves are the primary device used for hand protection in boxing, but they can be effective only if they form a tight seal with your wrists; otherwise, hand wraps will provide additional support. So when you’re learning how to box, don’t neglect this important accessory that every boxer needs! The wraps should be wrapped like an ace bandage starting at one end near your palm and gradually working up toward your wrist while making sure not to cover the thumb.
Can you use boxing gloves without hand wrap?
Boxing gloves should always be used with hand wraps to protect your hands and wrists.
Boxing gloves are designed to protect your hands and wrists from injury, but they will not be effective if you do not use hand wraps. Hand wraps help to keep your hands and wrists secure and protected while you are boxing, and they can help prevent injuries from occurring.
If you do not use hand wraps, you could risk injuring your hands or wrists. So it is important to always use boxing gloves with hand wraps for the best possible protection.
If you are a beginner boxer, it is important that you protect both your hands and wrists while training because they are susceptible to injury. If there is no wrap on one of the hands, then the other hand can be used as support when punching which could lead to an imbalance in muscle strength between both sides of the body. This also puts more pressure on joints like the wrist or elbow which can result in pain over time if left untreated.
What are the benefits of having hand wraps during boxing?
Boxing gloves are an essential piece of equipment when it comes to boxing. They protect your hands and wrists from the damage that can be caused by punching. What many people don’t know is that you don’t actually need hand wraps in order to use boxing gloves; they will still provide protection without them. However, when using boxing gloves without hand wraps, the risk of injury is increased because there isn’t much cushion between your knuckles and the handle on the glove itself. You also won’t receive any padding for areas like your wrist or palm area if you choose not to wear wraps with your gloves. Here are the benefits of having hand wraps during boxing:
1. Hand wraps provide support to the wrist, thumb, and fingers
Properly applied hand wraps are the only way to reduce the number of broken bones or other hand injuries during sparring or fighting.
Boxing gloves are designed for hitting, but they aren’t very good at protecting your hands if you make a mistake and slip up during training sessions. You can wear hand wrap while using boxing gloves for better hand, fist and wrist protection.
2. They also protect your knuckles from injury
A study done by the University of Florida in 2010 found that wrapping your hands reduces injury to 60-70% for hand injuries from punching, which significantly decreases possible health risks and expenses.
Giving a boxer good gloves without wraps only protects the other guy! And you’re left with double vulnerability, no protection for elbows or knees when someone throws them at you. So take care of yourself too. The right outfit starts with a proper way to wrap your fist.”
Hand wraps serve to disperse the impact of a strike by putting them in a padded position, and for this to be effective they need to be solid enough that they don’t unravel.
Hand wraps should not need any modifications or weight added since what you are doing is technically “punching” which means your fist should already have a little bit of weight behind it with boxing glove weight. If you feel like you’re having issues connecting because the power isn’t getting through contact punches, your gloves may be too light — which will cause problems with hand cracks and knuckles not being properly protected.
3. Wraps help to prevent blisters by absorbing sweat and moisture
The skin is sensitive and delicate, and because of the nature of sweat, it can pull away from your skin as you put more pressure on it. This creates an opportunity for blisters to form if the sweat doesn’t evaporate quickly enough.
Wraps help with this because they serve as a barrier between your hands or feet and potential blister-causing forces. Also, since they absorb moisture, they prevent you from sliding around on a surface–slippery surfaces are one of the most common causes of blisters.
Ideally though, you should try to avoid blisters altogether by wearing gloves that fits properly–not too loose or too tight–so that no pressure points cause friction against your skin.
4. They can offer relief from hand injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome
Wearing wraps can help relieve the pressure of overworked muscles, soften contact with the hands during a heavy workout, and provide support to joints if they’re otherwise injured. Wearing them while boxing provides additional protection to the wrists, palms and fingers–while minimizing callouses–which is especially helpful if you have any preexisting hand condition that would predispose one towards injury once they start training in this sport.
The benefits of wearing boxing gloves with wraps are mostly due to the extra cushioning they provide for your hand, which can be disruptive in some cases because adding more padding means it’s harder to feel what you’re hitting with your closed fist. The taller your thumb is when wrapped, the less likely you’ll have problems flinching while striking which will allow you put all your power into a punch rather than worrying about hurting yourself accidentally.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, or because of inflamed tendons in the wrist which are rubbing against bone inside the tunnel. With boxing wraps, they are able to isolate this inflammation, preventing it from worsening and alleviating any discomfort you may be having due to repetitive motions with your wrists.
To move well boxers have to have strong forearms and grip strength in their thumbs. Forearm muscle imbalances can cause pain that mimics carpal tunnel syndrome.
5. Hand wrap absorb more sweat than a synthetic fabric like nylon or polyester
Nylon and polyester are good at wicking away moisture from the skin because they’re hydrophobic, which means water droplets bead up on their surfaces and roll off.
The small gaps between fibers will also allow air to enter inwards resulting in a dry feeling once more freeing sweat is absorbed.
They are better than normal cotton muslin material because they are less prone to fraying after many washes too.
Lately, there has been much talk about the anti-microbial properties of synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester, but that doesn’t mean these materials can absorb sweat or provide proper ventilation when wrapped tightly around a body during intense exercise. Boxing wraps were originally designed to protect fighters’ hands, so their ability to absorb moisture is key in the same way it’s important for socks or shoes. Keep in mind that boxing wraps themselves come in many different materials, so if you want to be economical, cotton will work fine–just wash them regularly with your boxing gloves!
Boxing gloves hand wraps techniques
- The boxer should wrap the fingers first.
- Place the thumb on top of the four fingers and make a tight fist with all of them.
- Wrap around twice, halfway up between your index finger and your wrist (not past).
- Then cross over to tie it off on top of those two loops you made already.
- Next, wrap from knuckles down to hand as tightly as possible without numbness or tingling in the tips of your fingers (don’t tie this off).
- Now secure ties behind wrist on each side (proceed to tie these off last).
- Finally, shake out hands and fists repeatedly until tension is relieved; then test for any pain or numbness that might be present.
Recommended Read – Everything You Need To Know About Boxing Gloves
The history of hand wrapping
Hand wrapping of the boxing glove was an attempt to make a lighter glove. In 1886, trainers wrapped their hands with cloth and padding before letting them punch the bag. Ten years later, gloves were still square on both ends and not rounded at the wrist end. Gloves weighed from 8 ounces to 12 ounces were then used, but it had been reported that they did not offer much more protection then bare-knuckled boxing. It wasn’t until in 1904 when boxers began using 16 oz gloves in fight matches. Fighters started using padded gauze and cotton wraps to go over their hands for hand protection because 10oz breeches made with corduroy material was used in training so quickly became ineffective in protecting them during sparring sessions.
Why you need to wrap hands while boxing?
Boxing gloves on average provide between 12-14 ounces of padding to each hand, while some gloves offer more or less. Regardless of the amount of protection, only 20% on average is distributed on front side of palm whereas 80% is used for backside, fingers and knuckles. Due to this allocation of force most damage will be done to hands by impact with opponent, ropes or other objects around ring.
A hard punch causes punching vessels in your fist to burst open under the pressure. The energy from the punch can break these vessels and allow blood flow enough room for an explosion which could result in tearing large veins internally.
Although boxing gloves are necessary to protect the hands, they may cause friction and pain on the inner part of the fingers. Wrapping your hands tightly with a hand wrap helps to prevent this pinching.
Knowing how to properly wrap your hands will allow for a more comfortable boxing experience and decrease risk of injury. You’ll need a few things before you get started! There should be at least one good quality wrapping cloth measuring 12″ x 3 yards (or long enough to comfortably go around both wrists). Place it on your thumb like so. Fold it over twice for three layers on each wrist, keep some tension as you fold it over again, tucking in any loose edges underneath.
Best boxing hand wraps
It is important that you find the best boxing gloves with wraps because it will give your hands added support while protecting them from injury due to repetitive motion during training sessions. There are lots of different brands of boxing gloves wrap options on the market these days, so make sure to take time when shopping wraps for your boxing journey.
1. Venum Boxing Hand Wraps
Wrapping up your precious knuckles is more of a necessity than a choice. Venum Boxing Hand Wraps are perfect for those who want to keep their wrists and knuckles safe as they train. Made from elastic cotton, Venum wraps stretch into a perfect fit. Secure your wrist with these boxing hand-wraps on both sides for the best protection possible while you hit the heavy bag or focus on some speed bag training. These wraps are made from elastic cotton for that soft, pillow-like feel and stretch to fit any hands no matter the size or shape. The wrap is also easily adjustable so it’ll always be working with you rather than against – even if you have those tiny little fists! You can wear these handy guys on every rep of every set without getting tired since they’re very comfortable and easy to use.
Product Features:
- Made from an elastic cotton
- Feel like pillows
- Stretch into a perfect fit
- Secure both wrists and knuckles
- Work to support your fist when hitting things
- Very comfortable
- Easy to use
2. Sanabul Elastic Professional 180 inch Handwraps
Sanabul Professional 180 inch Handwraps, a product of Sanabul fighting gear, is a high-quality wrap made with polyester material to keep your hands cooler during training. They are long and stretchy to give optimal protection for both wrists and knuckles. These wraps will dry faster from washing or from sweat from intense workouts because they’re semi-elastic and highly durable. This wrist starch won’t cut off your circulation as easily as standard wraps do! What’s more, the thumb loop prevents it from rubbing the inside of your finger while preventing sliding up on combat gloves when in use. Finally, this hand wrap does not have an awful Ace bandage smell like other models on the market.
Sanabul hand wraps are a great way to take care of your joints and support your wrists. These 180 inch wraps will stay looking clean longer meaning less time spent waiting around to get back in the gym. These hand wraps are semi-elastic and highly durable with no irritating wrist rub or tightness for people with smaller hands. The extra length means they stretch more which is especially beneficial to cover the entire palm-side of their hands.
Product Features:
- Support your wrists and protecting your knuckles
- polyester material keeps your hands cooler during training
- Wraps will dry faster until you can get them washed
- Wraps are semi elastic and highly durable
- They are long, stretchy, soft, and not too thick
- Super comfortable material
- Slightly stretchy material doesn’t cut off my circulation as easily as standard hand wraps
- Thumb loop doesn’t rub the inside of my finger
- No weird Ace bandage smell
Related Read – Best Cheap Boxing Gloves Reviews
How to properly put on boxing gloves with or without hand wraps?
A wrap should be tight around the wrist but not too tight. It should also be thick enough to cover your thumb. When wrapping your hand make sure you pinch/wrap one section of the wrap over the other when closing the fist – this way it won’t come undone when punching. Don’t pull any slack though, keep it tight! A good practice is to buy a variety of wraps so that they suit each hand distinctly.
FAQs
Wear hand wraps for MMA and boxing. Your hands become an extension of your fist and there is a lot of torque and pressure put on your knuckles (and joints) with every strike; this is especially true with the power strikes that we always need in MMA fights.
So, yes, you should wear hand wraps to protect your wrists from damage like hyperextension. But more importantly, if you don’t wear wrist wraps when striking heavy bags or pads (especially when striking bags with the back knuckle), you run the risk of fracturing your thumb or breaking your pinkie finger by hyper-extending them too far backwards during a punch.
Heavy bags aren’t safe to punch without gloves. Heavy bag training can be very dangerous, especially if you’re not wearing the proper protection for your hands and wrists. There’s a concern that punching against a firm surface without protection could lead to ruptured tendons or damaged bones. Heavy bags also force you to grip tightly and flex your wrist while punching which is bad for them too. Wearing gloves while punching prolongs the life of your hands and makes sure they stay safe.
